What I Wish I’d Known Before My First Disney Vacation

Planning a Disney vacation is an exciting time. There is so much involved and you’ve made a wonderful choice in hiring a Me and The Mouse Travel Specialist to guide you in the planning process.  Even with all the research available online and through your Me and The Mouse Agent, you will still learn new things while you experience your Disney vacation. The following is a list of 5 things Disney guests wish they’d known before experiencing their first Disney vacation.

1. 1. You will be walking a lot!  Walt Disney World is 40 square miles which is about the size of San Francisco to put it into perspective.  You could be walking about 8-12 miles every day. With that in mind, make sure to bring comfortable shoes and that you break them in prior to your trip.  Take the amount of walking into consideration. A child that wouldn’t normally use a stroller may have a need for one. I rented a stroller for my children until about the age of 7!
   2. Give yourself plenty of time for transportation.  Disney has shuttles, monorails, boats, Minnie Vans, and coming soon, the Skyline to transport their guests.  Disney transportation takes you all over Disney property. The monorails alone transport 150,000 people daily!  We recommend giving yourself 60-90 minutes travel time before any scheduled reservation whether it is a Fastpass time, dining reservations, or a golf tee time!
   3.  Slow down and schedule in some down time.  This is the vacation you’ve been dreaming of and planning for months.  Make sure to take some time and really take in everything around you. Spend some extra time enjoying the view of Cinderella’s castle, note the look on your child’s face as they take in one of Disney’s wonderful shows, or enjoy the beauty of Spaceship Earth lit up at night. Also, if you have some room in your itinerary, I usually recommend a day or at least a few hours in the afternoon where you can relax! Enjoy one of the pools at your resort, schedule a massage, and enjoy a nice dinner.  I usually try to head back to my resort for a short afternoon rest.
   4.  Disney gift cards can be used while on property.  This is a great way to prepay for your vacation wants and necessities.  Another perk of the Disney gift card is that stores such as Target or Sam’s Club often sell them at a discount in bulk.  I usually use Disney gift card for my children’s souvenir money.
   5. Bring a power boost for your phone.  You may be using your cell phone quite a bit while you are on a Disney vacation.  It just may not be for actual talking; how much of it really is these days? You will be using it for your My Disney Experience App, taking photos, and honestly you may use it while you are waiting in line for the fireworks or parade.  This can be quite draining on how much you have left for the battery. That is why I highly recommend bringing a power boost. If you end up forgetting it at home don’t fret! Disney has charging stations located within the theme parks.